What Is Used For

What Is Natural Gas Used For

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Natural gas is a highly versatile energy source used across residential, commercial, industrial, and transportation sectors. Its primary applications include electricity generation, heating, industrial production, transportation fuel, and as a feedstock for producing essential goods.

  • Electricity generation: The largest use of natural gas in the United States is for generating electricity. It is a major fuel for power plants, accounting for about 40% of U.S. natural gas consumption in 2023[3].
  • Heating: Natural gas is extensively used for space and water heating in homes, businesses, and industrial settings[3]. Over half of American homes rely on natural gas for heating, hot water, and cooking[1].
  • Industrial uses: Many industries use natural gas both as a fuel and as a raw material (feedstock). It is essential for producing chemicals, fertilizers, plastics, synthetic fibers, steel, glass, bricks, hydrogen, and more. Additionally, it is integral to combined heat and power (CHP) systems that increase energy efficiency in industrial processes[3][7].
  • Commercial uses: Office buildings, schools, restaurants, hotels, and other commercial establishments use natural gas for space heating, water heating, cooking, drying, cooling, and dehumidification[2][4].
  • Cooking: Natural gas is a popular fuel for cooking in homes and restaurants due to its quick controllability and reliability[2][5].
  • Transportation: Natural gas powers vehicles (especially buses and trucks) as either compressed natural gas (CNG) or liquefied natural gas (LNG). It significantly reduces emissions compared to conventional fuels[1][5].
  • Petrochemicals and products: Natural gas is a key ingredient in the manufacture of plastics, fertilizers, cosmetics, synthetic fibers, medicines, and various medical devices[1][7].
  • Industrial heating and processing: Used directly in kilns, furnaces, dryers, and infrared heating systems in factories and for the generation of process steam[6][7].
  • Cogeneration and trigeneration: Some facilities use natural gas for both electricity and simultaneous heating (cogeneration), or for electricity, heating, and cooling (trigeneration), which boosts energy efficiency[1].

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